New-York tribune., 1887-05-15
HOW VALUES ARE SET ON PICTURE
DEALERS OPPOSE THE MARKING SYSTEM.

DEALERS OPPOSE THE MARKING SYSTEM.
INCIDENTS IN THE SALE OF coLLgcTIoNs-TnE
WESTERN BUYER.
"American artists show a decided advance, espec-
tally in landscape" observed George II. Gait, at the
Academy OF Desgn. the otner da, al 90 over to tho
various art centres OF Europe year. and have the
habit OF comparing what I with what our own
artists are doing, and find that in our landscapes
there is greater breadth and less Ut highly finished
detail There il also found in them better express
sion OF the subtetes of atmospheric effects, and
American artists to have truer regard tof
values in a landscape"
@And what about values from bread-and-buttef
standpoIn Mr.. Galtp
:. They are good, too" he replied, with smile on
being SO suddenly brought down from the realms OF
high AIT to the level of common trade PerhapS
he would have gone on to illustrate his opinion oy the
citation of various incidents connected with the sale OF
pictures, but Just ut this moment proDaDle Duyer
stroed Up to his desk
" DO these prices mean anythiDgF be asked, reierr-
ing to the exhibition catalogue.
aThere are few exceptions, which picture do you
refer to ~ Mr. Gait fponded as he walked down the
gallery with the gentleman.
That is the price, sir, $45O"
" Is that the bottom fgureP
gYesr
sWell, will take It,"
In two minutes Mr.. Gait was back at bis desk. Thai
the whole of the bargaining, and Mr. Gait said 1t
at the Academy exhibitions To show this he opened
at random the saesbook of last year. OF several pages
glanced over giving the price asked and the price OBJ
tanned in parallel columns, the two amounts III almost
each the same, and even those which did not
correspond showed but small reduction in the price
obtained SO that general rule the piintcd prices
in the catalogue were maintained.
This will be surprising to large number OF people
who have yearly stroled into the exhibition merely
to the pictures. They passed over these figures as
having little bearing dpOn the painting to which they
were attached thinking them either the inflated opn'
ion the artist had OF himself the highest figure con
science would permit him to accept for his work IL
probably was SO when the Academy first began te
print these figures; it would be so now on the first
adoption OF the system in any of the art centres
abroad Because the merit OF picture to many pct
buyers sad to think could only be determined by
its rce and the way obtain big price was 10 ash
one much bigger. But at any rate it is not so to-day
The frequent sales of large collections throughout ths
country and the many opportunities offered Tor exhpt
ton and comparison, it Is said, have educated Dotf
artist and buyer to business to extent and
thus 1t comes according the salesman that many oi
the exhibitors at the Academy ax to their pictures
the price they believe to be iair, and the educated
pu bile has come to believe in them
Many people who buy pictures nowadays make as
much study of their relative value they would OF
any other luxury or commodity they desire to pur-
chase At auction sales the prices obtained are care
fully marked in the catalogue and there are hangers
u
logues for sale to parties who do not attend but who
desire to keep well informed art matters. These
catalogues are carefully filed away for reference and
future COMPARISON.
The Academy Water Color Society and Salmagund
Club are probably only NewYork associations thai
now give the price OF the works exhioited In tneH
catalogues. Dealers naturally, dislike this system.
IL lessons their scope They still like the old plan
best. When they showing picture and the buyer
is probably wondering what it is worth the dealer may
| be looking carefully the buyer and sbrewdy
puessinc what he is worth To be the right side the
dealer asks more than he expects o get and sometimes
he is surprised by the generous art patron accepting
sg in this citv who had such an experience
| November. gentleman walked into his show-room'
aud priced small figure painting. He knew the gen
tleman by sight Knew that he was wealthy, ana tna
was all The artists price tor the work was S4To ano
the price the dealer got Was $l, 0O0. But when nt
heard more OF the Gentleman who had ooughs IL. ~
passed seeplts s. nights wondering how he could get
| back. For he felt sure his smartness would come
| home to him.
bargaining and indeed the selling OF pictures is con
Quoted very much the sale of any other high prcet
luKures. But very rarely do REPUTABLE deaeTs 1e
| Is store. however. that believes III making tn
highest possible profit, matter how, and ons OF III
| methods is TO ticket passabe opainting i've tmei
above its proper price This is to catch the stranger
within our gatesn And very often they do catch him.
| Also, at the various exhibitions out west the rct
manufactures will price number of pictures and ther
say to the salesman III take this dozen or so at 5O
ner cent of tor cash" That is his idea OF business
The salesman knows that hind of man, OF course nd
he fixes his prices be able to stand heavy 70
] bate.
The dealers chance of fun comes in when he gets
millionaire who knows nothing about art IN 'front.' OF
| poetic concet perhaps In such as +. ,. Cnurch
manner. Being totally devoid OF art educatioa be
cannot make it out. Not knowing what else to do he
| laughs. noo ooo,
@The price of that little picture is $4,000" Cas-
ually observes the salesman. That makes the wealthy
granger whistle and before he has gotten his breath
again the salesman describes the picture IN tumble
of fantastic art slang devoid of meaning to tue initiated
eyen Stricken with the granger admits that art IL
too deep mystery for his neglected education, and he
| almost determines to .et pictures alone. lie softly
DEPARTS and the salesman adopting totally different
style of slang, softly whispers He's my meat FOR
ths mm will come back. Pictures are the outward and
visible sen of that refinement only wealth can give,
and to the wealthy they therefore fashionable
necessity. Most of the pictures sent out West in
former years coming back again. Pictures
there everywhere in TACT great travellers Men
are always wedding out their collections they come
in time that their early purchases were but etep
ping to higher things in the way of art educa-
ton The prices paid for the work OF American artists.
according to the leading dealers. rapidly improy-
ing and artists generally better paid tor their work
than ever before. Several of the leading Newly ork
artists have more commissions than they know what
Some of them ought to One of Gifords pupils, for
instance who the first time he had picture accepted
tor exhibition put bigger price on it--and expected
double the SIZE